049. Childhood Poem by Dipankar Sadhukhan

I'm a child only of six years.
O my beloved mother!
Please don't drive me
Towards a mechanical life.

You've sent me to school,
The machine room of life.
Why don't you understand -
It is too difficult for me
To carry such a heavy bag,
Pregnant with knowledge?

O my dear mother!
I have no rest.
I am engaged
In the lifeless work
From dawn to dusk
And twilight to morn.

In my school
So many classes
I am to attend one by one
Unwillingly.
When I sleep, I'm haunted
With nightmare.

O my loving mother!
I learn a language
With heart from you.
Why do they teach me
Another two languages
In school forcefully?

Why do all of you
Pressurize my tender heart
To stand first in the class
In every field?
Why do you force me
To take part in Rat Race?

O my affectionate mother!
I have known the noise
Of your heart beat
Since the time
When I was in your womb.
Others may be cruel towards me.
But why do you want to kill
My valuable childhood?

The rest of my life are left
For learning and studying
But I can not regain
My precious childhood.

Why do you compel me
To learn drawing, singing,
Dancing and computer work?
Why do the tutors teach me
A lot forcefully?
Why do all of you try to
Damage my own world?

O my sweet mother!
Please, let me live my own life.
Let me play with Nature.
Let me grow up with the care
Of your Love and affection.

O my dearest mother!
Please don't kill my childhood.
I promise you -
I must learn everything
With my heart one by one
As I have learnt
Walking and speaking.

Kolkata, India.
8th 0ctober,2013.